1 . Which Louvre Museum Ticket is Best for You?

If you are Short on Time
Go for: Skip-the-line Tickets
Guide: Expert guide/audioguide

These entry tickets provide skip-the-line access, allowing you to bypass long queues. Go on a carefully tailored 2 to 3-hour guided tour with an audio headset to keep you from missing out on any explanation.

If you are on a Budget
Go for: Direct Entry Tickets
Guide: Audioguide

Get guaranteed entry within 30 minutes and explore the world’s most visited museum with an optional audio guide available in 10 languages at an affordable rate. These day-long valid tickets will let you walk around and browse through both the 38,000 permanent works and the many temporary exhibits at your own pace.

If you are a Solo Traveler
Go for: Small-Group tour
Guide: Expert guide

Small group tours offer great personalized and interactive experiences. With fewer people, you can engage with your guide and group and explore the Louvre in depth. See the Louvre’s most notable pieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory, and more.

If you are Travelling with Kids
Go for: Skip-the-line tickets
Guide: Expert guide/audioguide

With skip-the-line tickets, you can avoid long queues into the museum. The short, specialized tour will also focus on the major highlights of the Louvre, making them perfect for families with kids. A professional guide will accompany you, providing fascinating insights in a kid-friendly manner.

1. What is the primary advantage of the tickets for visitors short on time?

A．Exclusive access to VIP exhibits.	B．Extended access for the whole day.
C．Avoiding long queues.	D．Free admission for solo travelers.

2. Which of the following do the tickets for visitors on a budget offer?

A．Access to VIP exhibits.	B．A day-long validity.
C．Free audio guide in 10 languages.	D．Special discounts on temporary exhibits.

3. What do tickets for people short of time and for those travelling with kids have in common?

A．They guarantee the same major highlights.

B．They provide specially catered insights.

C．They offer visits of approximately the same length.

D．They include quick access and a guided tour.

3 . Suzanne Simard, a professor of forest ecology who called herself a “forest detective”, was raised in mountains in Canada. Few scientists make much impact with their PhD thesis, but, in 1997, she did just that. Her research on the “wood wide web” made the cover of Nature and transformed our understanding of forests. What was then a challenge to traditional ideas is today widely accepted.

A mushroom is the part of a fungus (真菌) that sticks up above the ground. Thin, white threads grow from its stem deep into the soil. These threads are called hyphae (菌丝). Hyphae connect themselves to tree roots. They also stretch from root system to root system, like an underground network. This network may go for miles. Hyphae pick up nutrients and water from soil. The fungus threads that connect to tree roots share their nutrients and water with the trees. In return, they sip a bit of the sugar the trees make. Sharing helps both trees and mushrooms live. It’s also how trees communicate.

When a tree is being eaten by bugs, it makes chemicals to shoo them away, sort of like bug repellent (驱虫剂). The chemicals travel through the tree, down its roots, and into the hyphae network. Other trees connected to the network taste the chemicals. That tells them a nearby tree is under attack, so they start to make their own bug repellent. Trees do more than share warnings through the hyphae. They also help each other. In the fall, paper birch trees drop their leaves and can no longer make sugar. So, a fir tree that stays green all winter uses the network to send extra sugar to the birch until spring comes again. This system of sharing information and nutrients through the hyphae is sometimes called the “wood wide web”, because it works a bit like the Internet.

Local climate sets the stage for the wood wide web, researchers say. In cool temperature and boreal forests, where wood and organic matter decay slowly, network-building EM fungi rule. By contrast, in the warmer tropics where wood and organic matter decay quickly, AM fungi dominate. These fungi form smaller webs and do less intertree swapping, meaning the tropical wood wide web is likely more localized.

Ecologist Thomas Crowther’s results suggest that as the planet warms, about 10% of EM-associated trees could be replaced by AM-associated trees. Microbes in forests dominated by AM fungi deal with carbon-containing organic matter faster, so they could liberate lots of heat-trapping carbon dioxide quickly, potentially accelerating a climate change process that is already happening at a frightening pace.

1. What do we know about Suzanne Simard?

A．She was a professor and a forest detective.

B．Growing up in the countryside, she made the cover of Nature.

C．Like many other scientists, she made big influence on her PhD thesis.

D．Her idea of the “wood wide web” used to challenge people’s thoughts.

2. Which of the following is not hyphae’s role in the forest ecosystem?

A．They facilitate tree communication.	B．They form an underground network.
C．They produce sugar and share it with trees.	D．They share nutrients and water with the trees.

3. How do trees use the “wood wide web” to deal with insect attacks?

A．They release warning signals through leaves.

B．They produce real bug repellent to kill insects.

C．They make use of hyphae to produce chemicals.

D．They send chemical signals through the network.

4. What might be the impact of replacing EM-associated trees with AM-associated trees?

A．It might slow down carbon release.	B．It would break down organic matter.
C．It might speed up climate change.	D．It might lead to faster tree growth.

4 . Alex Honnold is a poster child (榜样人物) for the sport of free soloing. For more than 20 years, the _______ adventurer has taken on risks that would be hard for many of us to imagine. The man has established fame in the _______ ever since his ascent (攀登) of Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Captain (酋长岩) in 2017.

But for Alex, there is nothing deep and meaningful about what he does by his own standards. It’s _______ one man on a rock doing what gives him the greatest joy in life. What continues to motivate him to _______ on a ledge (岩架) in the face of grave danger? We try to find this out in our interview with the brave _______.

Q: Regarding your early career, you defined yourself _______ being homeless at one point and were living out of your van. What was your motivation early on for climbing?

Alex: I had been climbing for years in the gym, _______ I was already heavily into rock climbing. Living in my van was the easiest way to travel and climb outdoors full time. I didn’t look at it as a hardship for me.

Q: Did you feel like you had become so _______ to climbing that you just wanted to explore it further at a certain point?

Alex: I think it’s just the activity that gives me the most joy in life. It’s just like how some people love to go running or swimming. There’s a certain _______ to the activity.

Q: People might ________ you for quick advice about how they should prepare for life. But sometimes there is no secret-you have to prepare, right? Alex: Yes, that’s actually pretty funny. People often ask me about fear and fear ________. And I say to them, if you were to spend 20 years preparing for something, ________ you’d become comfortable doing the things you used to believe would be ________ for you to do. There is no real secret.

Q: Since ________ is a big part of the way people interpret what you do, what scares you about life?

Alex: Intimacy, connection, relationships. Or whether I am wasting my time. I mean in some ways about living with regrets that you didn’t do the right thing or that you haven’t done something ________ with your life.

1.

A．careless

B．selfless

C．hopeless

D．fearless

2.

A．art

B．music

C．sport

D．literature

3.

A．hardly

B．rarely

C．merely

D．simply

4.

A．put out

B．stand out

C．send out

D．come out

5.

A．adventurer

B．explorer

C．experimenter

D．campaigner

6.

A．to

B．as

C．for

D．on

7.

A．and

B．for

C．but

D．so

8.

A．charmed

B．addicted

C．attracted

D．accustomed

9.

A．appeal

B．meaning

C．favour

D．interest

10.

A．contribute to

B．devote to

C．look to

D．bring to

11.

A．management

B．occurrence

C．consequence

D．discovery

12.

A．apparently

B．obviously

C．eventually

D．definitely

13.

A．potential

B．harmful

C．useless

D．crazy

14.

A．joy

B．death

C．love

D．regret

15.

A．worse

B．less

C．better

D．more

5 . According to the United Nations, 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come directly from the way that we currently produce our electricity.71 percent of the earth is covered in water yet only around 1.5 percent of the global energy is produced through wave power. That’s what inspired Eco Wave Power CEO, Inna Braverman to take on the challenge.

Two weeks after she was born in Ukraine in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred and she got hurt, suffering from breathing arrest and a clinical death. But thanks to her mother, who was a nurse, she was saved. Growing up, she felt it her purpose to find green and sustainable energy.

Inna found that previous wave energy developers have decided to pursue offshore technologies, contributing to huge installation and maintenance costs, incredibly vulnerable stations in storms, and consequently lack of funding. Her innovative version, however, is to install the power station on land. The only part of the system in the water is the floaters which bob up and down with the waves. These push compressed air into a tank where the energy is stored to produce electricity. The floaters are attached to existing man-made structures such as banks, piers, and breakwaters.

The simplicity of the design makes it cheaper to install and maintain as well as being better protected from rough weather and therefore, insurable. Once a commercial plant producing 20 megawatt s or more (enough for 20,000 homes) is in place, the unit cost significantly reduces. “Our price of energy decreases to about $0.05 US (€0.05) per kilowatt hour, which is comparable to the prices of onshore wind,” Inna explains.

A pilot station was installed in Gibraltar in 2016. It was the first wave energy system to be connected to the grid in Europe. More tests of the wave energy system have been arranged in different countries and regions.

1. What do we know from the first two paragraphs?

A．Inna was inspired by a UN program to focus on green energy.

B．Inna’s early experience enabled her to explore green energy solutions.

C．Inna came up with the idea of green energy thanks to her mother.

D．Green and sustainable energy solutions are greatly influenced by the nuclear disaster.

2. What’s the purpose of the author to write paragraph 3?

A．To demonstrate the environmental impact of wave energy.

B．To highlight Inna Braverman’s innovative approach to wave energy.

C．To outline the challenges faced by other wave energy developers.

D．To provide information about wave energy production around the world.

3. How is Inna Braverman’s approach to wave energy different from previous ones?

A．Its maintenance on the sea floor.	B．Its dependence on government funding.
C．Its installation on land.	D．Its exclusive focus on offshore technologies.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Eco Wave Power: Pioneer in Sustainable Energy

B．Chernobyl Survivor’s Vision: Endless Power for the Future

C．Land-Based Wave Power: Innovation for Green Electricity

D．Onshore Energy: Eco Wave Power’s Fight Against Gas Emissions

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段， 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In the heart of Daventry, five-year-old Oliver always cherishes tender moments with his mother, Codi Pow, who was a dedicated student nurse in the hospital in the town.

Codi has suffered from high blood pressure since a young age, and grapples with persistent health issues, which could easily trigger potential stroke or heart problems. She still remembers in the winter when her son was three years old, she got an unexpected tooth infection, which worsened dramatically, leaving her in hospital for a week. That tooth infection almost brought an end to her life.

As a student nurse, Codi navigates her daily routine with enormous care. She knows clearly that she should attend to herself well, taking pills on time, curbing her emotions, reducing the -sodium input, and so on. Her doctor’s repeated warnings echo in her mind, emphasizing the need to avoid infection that could lead to severe complications(并发症).

Oliver lives a life no different from other kids in the neighborhood, filled with playful activities, joyous singing, and the routine trips to kindergarten. What sets him apart is that he stands out for his unique passion: health and safety. During playtime, he eagerly absorbs himself in a toy first aid kit and asks his mum about medical things. Oliver has collected a surprising amount of knowledge on health and safety, despite being just five.

One quiet Sunday morning, while preparing breakfast for Oliver, Codi felt it a bit difficult to breathe. She went to the hospital with chest pain, swelling to her neck and a lump in the same area. She had a blood test, chest X-Ray and ECG before being sent home and advised to see her doctor later after she got the test reports.

By 1: 30 in the afternoon, Codi was doing washing in the kitchen while chatting with Oliver when her condition drastically worsened. She felt a high fever, the sign of a possible infection. All of a sudden, she had a blackout, and her legs gave out. She fell onto the kitchen floor like a sack of sand.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:

Witnessing his mother collapse in the kitchen, Oliver was horrified.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

Codi was swiftly attended to by the medical professionals.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 假设你是李华，近期你收到英国朋友Daniel的邮件，内容如下：
Dear Li Hua,
I hope this letter may find you well. This summer, I plan to attend summer camps in China. There are several themes for me to choose, and I am wondering whether to attend Camp of Learning Tang Poems or Camp of Learning Paper Cutting. Would you please share your ideas with me?
请根据上述内容回复邮件。内容包括：
1. 表示欢迎；2. 你的推荐及理由；
要求：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Daniel,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

What a fantastic horse! Even after more than a thousand years     1    (pass), we can still feel the power within its burning eyes and kicking hooves(马蹄). Night-Shining White is regarded as one of the     2    (important) horse paintings in the history of Chinese art.

Its artist, Han Gan, was born into a poor family in the early Tang Dynasty. His talent was discovered by the poet Wang Wei, who sponsored him to study painting. Due to Han Gan’s natural talent and years of hard work, he     3    (choose) to serve Emperor Xuanzong in the royal palace.

The Tang emperors were fond of horses,     4     meant that the animal was a frequent subject for artists. At that time, the most common way to study horse painting was by copying the works of other painters. Han Gan’s method,     5    , was different. He moved to live in the horse stable (马厩) and watched the animal itself. The horses,     6     resting or on the move, offered him plenty of inspiration. The more time he spent     7    (watch) these animals, the more his understanding grew. It is said that when Han Gan was asked to take a master of horse painting     8     his teacher, he replied, “All the horses are my teachers.”

Those who saw Han Gan’s horse paintings all expressed their     9    (admire) for him, saying that the horses     10     (paint) by Han Gan are real.

9 . How to write a Cover Letter (求职信)

Are you tired of your job and in the market for a new one? Many people are these days, and that can be a problem for job hunters.     1     A well-designed cover letter is the answer.

The cover letter should be no more than one page in length. And it should explain why you are the best candidate for a job. The point of this letter is to help you stand out from the others.     2    .

Making a good impression in your cover letter means grabbing the reader’s attention right away. In your first paragraph, quickly introduce yourself and talk about the position you are applying for.     3     This illustrates to employers that you can do your research——a key part of cover letters.

    4     Each one should be tailored to the job you are applying for. So, before you start writing, find out some information about the job and the establishment. Then you’ll know what the company values and which skills and experiences your letter should focus on.

Following the opening paragraph, you can discuss the relevant experiences in your resume (简历).     5     Talking about your background and skills shouldn’t take more than a couple of paragraphs. From there, you can move to the closing of your letter.

It’s important to end on a strong note. In these last lines, you should repeat why you are a great fit. Then follow up with a polite request for an interview. This shows you are excited about the job and keen to it.

A．Someone would refer to their education experiences in this part.

B．A fine means is to tell why you fit the job and have a strong ending.

C．One of the best ways to do that is by making a good first impression.

D．You should show why you are interested in the job and the company.

E．No matter how many you write, every cover letter should be different.

F．How can you get the attention of employers with so much competition?

G．You can give in-depth details about why your skills fit the company’s needs.